Having kids means life is in constant flux, but the idea of meditating as a family is rapidly gaining ground.

Does family life stress you out? Does your work life stress out your family? Having kids means life is in constant flux, but we can control how we respond to chaotic periods in our lives. It’s no surprise, then, that the idea of meditating as a family is rapidly gaining ground.

Inspired by 30 years of brain research, neuroscientist Richard Davidson, author of the new book The Emotional Life of Your Brain, is an advocate of meditation for children.

It can be particularly helpful for kids with behavioural or learning difficulties, and it can be a lifesaver during challenging times. Cheryl Dawson, a lending manager at a San Diego bank, already meditated daily, but a turbulent divorce convinced her to make it a pre-bedtime family ritual when her youngest was three years old. “Before, it was total mayhem,” she says. “But every kid loves structure.” Dawson devised simple mantras with her two girls—“I am sweet, I am smart” is one— and says it was a game-changer: “Now the house is just calm in the evenings.”